President Obama Names New Chief of Staff on Same Day He's Ruled to Have Violated Constitution

A unanimous decision from a three-judge panel of the US
Court of Appeals for the DC Circuit said that President Obama didn't have the power to bypass the Senate to fill vacancies on a labor relations panel. The
president made three controversial recess appointments last year to the
National Labor Relations Board that were declared
unconstitutional, since he acted when the Senate wasn't actually in a recess.

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The ruling came shortly before he unveiled a major overhaul
of senior staff, including the naming of Obama's trusted adviser, deputy national security adviser and longtime friend, Denis McDonough, to the
new White House chief of staff position. The Minnesota native and former
foreign policy adviser for Obama's first
presidential campaign will replace Jacob Lew, the nominee to lead the Treasury
Department.

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Obama said he chose McDonough for his dedication "despite
the unbelievable pressures" and for having "the kind of heart" he wants in the
White House. He additionally put Lisa Monaco, the current leader of the Justice
Department's National Security Division, in line to become the deputy national
security adviser for Homeland Security and
Counterterrorism, though that placement
is contingent upon the Senate
confirmation of John Brennan as director of the Central Intelligence Agency.

The president might also have to appoint a new head to the Consumer Financial
Protection Bureau, as his recess appointment of Richard Cordray has also been called into question as part of the earlier
ruling, but it will be challenged in a separate case. Obama claims he acted
properly in the case of the appointments because the Senate was away for the
holidays on a 20-day recess, and White House
attorneys are expected to appeal the decision to the US Supreme Court. If the
decision stands, however, it would deem hundreds of decisions the board issued in the last year invalid.